A Burnaby poet has been chosen as a finalist for Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary prize.
Brandi Bird is one of five finalists named in the English language poetry category of the 2024 Governor General Literary Awards for their debut poetry collection The All + Flesh published by the House of Anansi Press.
The collection "explores the concepts of health, language, place, and memory that connect its author to their chosen kin, blood relatives, and ancestral lands," according to a description on the House of Anansi website.
Bird is an Indigiqueer Saulteaux, Cree and Métis writer from Treaty 1 territory currently living on the land of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam peoples, according to a profile on their website.
A freelance writer, workshop facilitator and manuscript consultant, Bird is also an MFA candidate in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, where they are writing their first novel, according to the website.
The All + Flesh was nominated for the 2024 League of Canadian Poets' Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, the 2024 League of Canadian Poets' Raymond Souster Award and the 2024 League of Canadian Poets' Pat Lowther Memorial Award.
It won the 2024 Indigenous Voices Award for poetry in English.
Founded in 1936, the Governor General's Literary Awards recognize works published in Canada in both official languages and finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French).
This year, the committees considered eligible books published between Aug. 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Winners will be announced on Nov. 13 on the Governor General Literary Awards website.
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